"What if people protest the program and disrupt Shabbat?" I admit, I heard a loud voice in my head repeating this question as our Pride Shabbat festivities approached last June.
Reform Judaism stands for a Judaism that is inclusive and encourages the participation of all members of interfaith families in our communities. Here are some steps we can take as community leaders to affirm members of interfaith families, ensure they know they are valued and understood as critical members of our Reform communities, and do our best to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to experience a sense of belonging.
We sat down with Rabbi Jonah Pesner to discuss his work in the Reform Movement, as a SCoRE member, and his experience as the first Jewish person appointed to SCoRE.
In 2021, many of the URJ's 15 camps engaged in the creation of a URJ-structured Racial Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (REDI) Working Group & Camp Assessment process. One of those camps was Camp George in Ontario, Canada.
As a part of my work at jHUB, which embraces interfaith couples and families exploring Jewish culture and values in Cleveland, Ohio, I meet with young interfaith couples who are looking for connection, meaning, and guidance. I get to hear their unique stories, which often reflect their desire to deepen their relationship with Judaism and with one another.
Along with the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), the Jewish Grandparents Network (JGN) and Keshet share a commitment to an inclusive Jewish community that reflects and affirms marginalized identities. We realized we could have the greatest impact towards a more inclusive community if we worked together.
My Jewish husband and I have been on an interfaith journey for 43 years. Our wedding brought our friends and family, both Jews and Christians, into an old brick church where our beautiful chuppah sat below a hanging macrame cross where we took our vows before a rabbi and a priest.
As a graduate of both Tougaloo College and Jackson State University, the recent bomb threats to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are personal to me. Since January 2022, over a dozen HBCUs have received bomb threats; several of those threats were received on the first day of Black history month. The continuous attacks on institutions of higher learning; places of worship and individual attacks are a direct threat to our everyday existence.